With the controversies surrounding Ezra Miller continuing to worsen, there was once talk of Warner Bros. pulling the plug on The Flash.
The movie being vastly more expensive than Batgirl, for example, made the idea highly unlikely but we did hear some chatter about Miller potentially being replaced. That wouldn't have been easy, of course, and with the actor playing dual roles, pretty much the entire movie would need to be reshot.
During a recent interview with MovieMaker, The Flash producer Barbara Muschietti was asked how she and brother/director Andy handled what was happening with Miller (including allegations of assault and grooming) and whether they felt the movie was ever at risk of falling apart.
"No, you know, as filmmakers, you have to put your head down and just do your work. Of course, we take that stuff very seriously, but we were focusing on the movie."
Asked if they ever considered replacing Miller, the producer added, "No, it would have been absolutely impossible. When we started reading in the news that Ezra would be replaced, we laughed, because we didn’t know where it came from."
Muschietti concluded by saying, "That rumor definitely didn’t come from us or the studio."
The Flash's creative team have come under fire for praising Miller in recent weeks, especially as it's been perceived as them ignoring the wider issues surrounding the troubled star. While they made a vow to seek help, details on that have been few and far between and Miller being trotted out at the premiere just increased the bad feeling surrounding the movie from many fans.
While there's previously been talk about Miller reprising his role as Barry Allen in the new DCU, that no longer seems likely after The Flash's disastrous opening weekend. With any luck, DC Studios will make moves to recast the character as the Scarlet Speedster deserves the chance to race into action again.
The Flash is now playing in theaters.